by Ann Gimpel
“If we ignore this, it might truly turn into a thousand year Reich, just like their propaganda fliers and rallies predict,” he went on.
“We don’t owe the gadjos anything,” Alex protested. “They haven’t lifted a finger to help us.” His green eyes were cold, and he crossed his arms over a broad chest. Farrier as well as leader for his group, he spent his days when they weren’t traveling working the forge and making sure all the horses had shoes. He kept his dark hair shorn close to his head so nothing could escape into the heat of his fire.
“It’s not about who owes whom,” Michael said. His eyes held a pinched, resigned expression. “It’s about doing what we must so there are some pieces to pick up once this is over.”
“I fear if we do nothing,” Elliott said, “there may not be anything left to salvage. If the Nazis grow much stronger, the world will become theirs because no one will be able to face them down and win.” He paused, weighing his next words before giving voice to them.
“What?” Michael asked, clearly intuiting something remained unsaid.
Elliott inhaled raggedly. “If that world comes to pass, there will be no place in it for the Romani. We will be forced into the shadows forever. Without the light of day to sustain us, we’ll die out. If we go, the natural world won’t be far behind.”
Stewart nodded. “Aye, ’twas what I meant about not having any choice.” He pushed heavily to his feet. “We must hurry and catch the others afore they scatter to the four winds. When a Rom chooses to disappear, they can be verra hard to locate.”
“I’ll take care of that.” Michael reared his head back, and a high, piercing whistle set Elliott’s nerves on edge and made his teeth ache. He clapped his hands over his ears, but the sound intensified, so he realized he had to be hearing with his third ear.
Magic. Michael is calling the others back. It’s what he meant when he said he’d take care of it.
The noise ceased as quickly as it had begun. Elliott shook himself to quell unfamiliar feelings cascading through him. A sensation he had to ride into battle or be swept away was so pervasive, it took all his self-discipline not to race to Flame and urge him into the enemy camp.
“What exactly did you do?” he asked Michael.
“You must have missed that part in the lore.” Michael lumbered to his feet and clasped his hands behind him.
“What part was that?” Elliott gazed at the man who’d raised him.
“’Tis our ancient call to arms,” Stewart answered. “So far as I know, no one has uttered it in my lifetime. It should bring the others back.”
“Or sent them fleeing as fast as they can run the other way,” Alex muttered dourly.
Elliott had a feeling any Rom would have a hell of a time running from that command, but he held his tongue. He thought about where he’d encountered the seven men—and how long ago. Even if they set their mounts to a full gallop—which was unlikely because of how much attention it would attract—it would take them a good three quarters of an hour to return to the cottage. Once they were assembled, the ensuing discussion would likely last long into the night.
Elliott got to his feet.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Michael shot him a sour look.
“To get Tairin and bring her back here—”
“No women.” Valentin bolted upright and faced off against Elliott.
“We never include women in elder council discussions.” Michael hesitated. “By rights, we shouldn’t include you, except you’re who saw the vampires.”
Elliott stood straight and spread his hands in front of him, palms upward. He’d be damned if he’d cower in front of men he’d known all his life. “Tairin’s magic complements ours. If it weren’t for her, I’d still be there, and the creatures would’ve discovered me eventually.”
Stewart made come along gestures with one hand. “Ye needs must say a wee bit more than that, lad.”
“Just being in proximity to their magic hypnotized me. I couldn’t look away. Leaving was out of the question. Tairin touched my arm and broke their enchantment. Once she did that, we both snuck away.” He inhaled tightly. Should he reveal what she was?
No. If I do, they’ll never accept her in our midst, and any chance we have of success will go up in smoke.
Elliott shrouded his thoughts. The group would find out about Tairin’s dual nature soon enough. By then, they’d be in the thick of things, realize how much they needed her, and their antipathy would vanish. Or at least lessen.
Hopefully.
Stewart narrowed his eyes to slits. “There is something about her magic,” he muttered. “I’ve caught glimpses of her power from time to time, but she’s always careful to cloak it. Almost as if she doesn’t want us to look too deep.”
“Pah!” Valentin spat on the dirt floor. “Women. Secretive bitches. None of them want any man close enough to see their dark natures. How can you trust something that bleeds every month?”
Elliott looked away. Valentin liked men. He kept it under wraps for the most part because Romani culture viewed same sex pairings as akin to devil worship. He’d approached Elliott years before, otherwise he might not have guessed about the other man’s proclivities.
“What’ll it be?” Elliott looked from one man to the next. “Regardless, I’m going to meet up with Tairin. If I don’t bring her back here, I’m returning to the caravan, and you can solve the vampire problem without me.” Reacting to annoyance streaming from Michael, he held up a hand. “Don’t remind me how much I owe you. This is one place I’m taking a stand. You get both of us or none of us, but I’ll give you directions to the vampire nest. It’s easy enough to find.”
“Do you suppose there are others in this area?” Keenan spoke up.
“I have no idea,” Elliott said. “They have a particular stink about them, though. If I’d run across it before, I’d have remembered. So either they’re newly arrived, they’ve kept a very low profile—which is unlikely since they require blood—or this is the only nest. At least for now.”
“My guess would be all three,” Michael said, sounding more rational. “They just got here. They’ve kept a low profile, and they’re the only group in this area—at the moment, but that could change.” He rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. When he looked up, he jerked his chin in Elliott’s direction. “Bring her here. These are unusual times. Perhaps it means we must suspend how we normally conduct our business.”
“Nothing in Romani law forbids women from taking part in council decisions,” Keenan said.
Elliott didn’t wait to hear any more. The rise and fall of the men’s voices followed him outside as he clucked to Flame and jumped astride. While he rode, he considered what would happen if Tairin refused to return with him. She was on the verge of leaving the caravan. She’d all but said so, plus she’d have to leave at some point. Either that or reveal what she was. Shifters might appear perennially young, but no one else did.
By the time he arrived at the ruined castle, he’d decided to present the facts and let her decide. Whichever way she wanted to go would be fine by him. He wanted to remain by her side, whether they stayed with the caravan or struck out on their own. Given the mess the Reich had made of Germany and much of Europe, they’d surely be safer as a couple than as part of a larger group.
He would help the men with the vampires, though. If Tairin chose to leave, he’d come up with a place and time to meet her… If she was willing.
Leaving Flame in his usual place, Elliott hurried down the tunnel, drawn by Tairin’s lush scent and unique energy. Now that he knew what she was, she’d stopped wasting magic to mask her essence. He ducked into the room. Tairin lay curled on her side in one of the corners, looking young and vulnerable and heartbreakingly lovely. Eyes closed, she was deeply asleep, head resting on joined hands.
Elliott crossed to her and pulled her into his arms, cradling her body against him. Strong emotion coursed through him, and he vowed to all the gods and goddesses in the
universe that he’d devote his life to being worthy of her.
If she’d have him.
“Tairin, darling.”
She curved her body against his and threaded her arms around him, murmuring in an old Germanic dialect. He kissed her forehead. Her lips drew him, encouraged kisses, but they didn’t have time, and he was afraid if he started kissing her, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
“Michael called the men back.” He stroked hair away from her forehead. “We need to return so that—”
“We?” she broke in. “They’ll allow a woman…” She reared back and looked at him. He felt her magic slip inside his mind and welcomed it. “Did you tell them about me?”
“No, my love. That’s for you to reveal. Or not. Just as helping with whatever we end up doing to try to annihilate the vampires is up to you.”
She pushed away and sat up, scrubbing the heels of both hands down her face. “But you need me. None of you are strong enough to do this without me—and a whole lot of other shifters.”
Elliott smiled crookedly. Her courage warmed him. Even after the raw deal the Rom had dealt her family, she was still willing to help. Thoughts rolled from one side of his mind to the other. When words came, they were halting and uncertain. “You’re amazing. Your spirit shines like the sun. Your—”
She put a hand over his mouth and rose to her feet. “I’m inside your head. I see all those extravagant compliments. Better watch it. They’ll go to my head.”
He scrambled upright and caught her in an embrace. “I’m falling in love with you, Tairin.”
She hugged him back, quick and hard. “I’m starting to care about you too. Way more than I should. Maybe. Tell you what. On that ride back, you can fill me in on what you discovered about why our two bloodlines are forbidden to mingle.”
“Of course. I’d be glad to. By the time I’m done, maybe you’ll throw caution to the winds and join your star to a poor sod like me.”
“There are lots of words I’d use to describe you.” Musical laughter warmed him. “Poor sod isn’t anywhere in the lineup. We need to get moving, right?”
“That we do. Thank the goddess Flame likes your human form. Given a little time, he’ll wrap that equine head of his around your wolf.”
“Good you didn’t forget about me.” The wolf chimed in.
“How could I?” Elliott countered. “You’re part of Tairin. Loving her means loving you too.”
Deep in his mind, a pleased howl rose, followed by a bevy of several more.
Elliott took off at a quick trot along the passageway with Tairin by his side. Soon, they’d sit in on a Romani war council. He’d always assumed they’d take on the Reich, but he’d figured they’d employ stealth—like he’d done in Dachau. Vampires hadn’t entered the equation.
Until today.
He had a hunch stealth wouldn’t make a dent in those twelve vampires. They’d require direct confrontation. Some of his friends would likely die.
Not Tairin. Not while there’s life in my body to protect her.
She shot him a pointed look. “What if I feel the same way about you?”
“We’ll protect each other.”
“I like the sound of that. Do you want me in the saddle or in front of it?”
“In it.” Elliott settled behind her, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against him. Times might be dire, and their need desperate, but he’d found his life’s mate. She’d been there all along, but he hadn’t been paying attention. Or maybe she’d been too busy masking what she was to allow him—or anyone else—to see the parts that enticed him. Made him certain she was the woman for him.
“Tell me what was in the lore books,” she urged.
Elliott began to talk, filling in details as they rode back to the cottage and the Romani elders.
Chapter 8
Light was fading from the day when they reached the clearing. Tairin had listened intently to Elliott’s recitation of the lore, and she could see how both shifters and Rom might well have adopted Draconian measures against a perceived threat. The event had happened long ago when folk were far more superstitious than now, and the blanket prohibition against shifters cozying up with other magical beings made sense. The devil child who’d started it was certainly an anomaly, but folk from an earlier era wouldn’t have interpreted it that way.
She leaned against Elliott, enjoying the feel of his arms around her and remembering the press of his mouth on hers. Not a good idea to get lost dreaming about the man behind her, though. What he’d said about vampires was enough to offset any joy she felt in discovering there wouldn’t be dire, cosmic consequences if she and Elliott made love.
Or fell in love and made a life together.
Elliott guided the horse to the back of the cottage. Dismounting, he waited for her to climb down. The number of mounts milling about meant all the elders were within.
Tairin turned to him and focused her mind voice. “I’m going to tell them what I am. We need help from my shifter kin—if they’ll give it. Nothing you said about your research into vampires convinced me that twelve—or even twenty—Romani would do more than amuse a vampire nest.”
Elliott winced, and then nodded slowly. “About the same conclusion I’d come to,” he replied out loud. “Shall we?”
“Michael will kick me out of his caravan.”
“You were leaving anyway.” Elliott switched to telepathy and sent a meaningful look skittering her way. “If it comes to that, and I’m not certain it will, I want to go with you—if you’ll have me.” He held her gaze, resolute, determined, all things she knew about him. Elliott was capable of amazing single-mindedness, and now it was focused on her.
Unfamiliar feelings spilled through her. Caring. Gratitude. Desire to build a life with the man by her side. She pushed them away. What would unfold over the next hour was far more important than her personal needs. Reaching up, she cupped the side of his face. “Hold onto that thought. First, we have to find a way to survive.”
He placed a hand over hers, trapping it against his cheek. “You didn’t say no.” Something hot and feral and hopeful blazed from the depths of his eyes.
“I didn’t say no,” she agreed and tilted her chin toward the cottage. “They know we’re out here. Let’s get this next part behind us.”
He swung her hand to her side without letting go, and they walked to the cottage, ducking through the damaged door. Twelve pairs of eyes focused intently on them and their joined hands.
“Nice of you to come inside,” Michael said.
“Aye, we sensed the two of you arrive this quarter hour past—more or less,” Stewart cut in.
Elliott made a grunting sound. “It wasn’t that long. Since you’re all here, did you come up with any ideas for dealing with the vampires?”
“Lots of ideas,” Keenan muttered. “Just not anything practical.”
“Nor anything that willna get the lot of us killed,” Stewart said dourly.
Michael narrowed his eyes to slits, skewering Elliott. “Did the lore mention silver bullets? Or iron? Or perhaps a mixture of the two?”
Elliott shook his head. “No. I was expecting something like that, but never found it. Maybe if I read more thoroughly—”
Stewart made a chopping motion with one hand. “Wouldna matter. None of us—” he made an expansive gesture with his other hand “—recalled aught beyond beheading or a silver stake driven through the heart, likely same as what ye read. Means ye’d have to get damned close.”
“We might do away with one or two,” Alex said, “but the others would pick us off sure enough before we did much more damage.”
“Given all that,” Michael spoke slowly, “perhaps we’d be better served to ignore the problem. No reason to sacrifice all of us for nothing.”
“Our survival is far from certain,” Valentin muttered from where he sat in a corner. “All this would do is ensure we’d die sooner.”
Elliott opened his mouth, but before he could voice argumen
ts, Tairin extricated her fingers from his and stepped forward. She kept her gaze downcast as befitted a Romani woman. “Permission to speak before your august group.”
“No!” Valentin bellowed. “We have enough problems without whatever you might bring into the mix.”
Elliott walked to Michael, but didn’t kneel next to him. “What was the point in your consent to include Tairin if she can’t be a part of this conversation?”
Michael lumbered upright and looked Elliott in the eye. “The discussion appears to be over. We won’t engage in a battle we’re sure to lose. Our people depend on us. Without the elders to guide them, everyone is likely to end up in a work camp.”
“Work camp is a euphemism. What our people will be is dead.” Valentin shouted the last word. “Dead. If we take on the vampires, it’s the same as sentencing our people to die.”
Tairin smothered an instinct to roll her eyes. When had the man turned into such a drama-ridden coward? She squared her shoulders and raised her gaze, looking at each man in turn. Some averted their eyes, but most didn’t. Tension thrummed through her, and she balled her hands into tight fists.
“I asked for permission, and you argued, so I will say what’s in my mind. Once I’m done, I’ll leave if that’s your decision.”
“Leave now,” Valentin snarled.
“Let the lass speak her piece.” Stewart trained guileless eyes on her, but she wasn’t fooled. The Scot saw more than most of them, perhaps on account of his Celtic roots.
She inhaled deeply and blew it out. The words wouldn’t grow any easier with waiting. “You think you know me,” she began, “but you don’t. Michael’s caravan is the fourth I’ve joined. I left the earlier ones—and I’m well prepared to leave this one—so no one would realize I didn’t age.”
Hissing grew, and the men made forked signs against evil.
“None of that,” Elliott thundered. He strode to her side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.